Metering dispensing carton



May 21, 1963 J. ROBSON 3,090,532

METERING DISPENSING CARTON Filed Aug. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 42 E i i' 5 ""m IN E if i l mu i h i INVENTOR JOHN ROBSON ATTORNEY May 21, 1963 J. ROBSON 3,090,532

METERING DISPENSING CARTON Filed Aug. 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN ROBSON BY WMW ATTORNEYS y 1, 1963 J. ROBSON 3,090,532

METERING DISPENSING CARTON Filed Aug. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JOHN ROBSON ATTORNEY United States atent 3,090,532 METERING DISPENSING CARTON John Robson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,049 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-456) This invention relates to the packaging art, and more particularly to an improved measuring and dispensing container. The container is formed from a one-piece folded blank which provides an integral partition for defining distinct storage and measuring compartments.

While compartmented containers are known in the art, it is an object of the instant invention to arrange the two compartments in such a fashion that a given desired portion of the contents of one compartment may be transferred to the other compartment, and then dispensed from the container. Furthermore, it is an object to provide gauging or measuring means between the compartments which will compensate for varying density of the substance being dispensed. In accomplishing the dispensing operation it is a further object to avoid the necessity of a reclosable external closure member. Finally, it is an object of this invention to construct the container in such a manner that upon dispensing the contents .of the measuring compartment, the remaining contents of the storage compartment will be isolated and confined by the action of the integral partition.

For a better understanding of the invention and its other objects, advantages and details, reference is now made to the present preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown, for purposes of illustration only, in the accompanying drawings.- In the drawings:

PEG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the container is formed, showing the exterior surfaces;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container during one stage of its assembly, after the storage compartment has been formed, with the measuring compartment not yet completed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the measuring compartment in place;

FIG. 4 is a detail of the exterior outlet;

FIG. 5 shows a modified flap arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the fiap arrangement of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevation, partly in section, of the completed container showing it inverted to transfer a portion of the contents into the measuring compartment;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, but shows the action of the partition during the dispensing operation.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the container blank 10 may comprise a sheet of foil-laminated or metalized paperboard. Two orthogonal sets of fold lines relate the various panels and flaps. In the drawings, these fold lines are represented by dashed lines; however, wherever the blank has been entirely out through, this is indicated by a solid line.

The container body comprises face panels 16 and 18, and side panels 17 and 19-panels 16 and 19 being attached by means of glue lap 20. At the top of panel :17, an outlet for the container is established by providing a semi-circular tab 22, formed by means of a skip-cut to be readily removable.

While the lower closure members form no part of the present invention, it may be stated that flaps 27 and 29 are first folded inwardly and perpendicular to the side panels 17 and 19, respectively. Then lower panel 26 is folded over them and perpendicular to face panel 16. Finally, lower panel 28, having Van Buren type cars 30, is folded perpendicular to panel 18, overlying the pre viously mentioned flaps and panel, and the ears are glued 3,090,532 Patented May 21, 1963 ice to the outer surfaces of the side panels 17, 19. This closing operation typically takes place after the contents ment 34 which it defines at the top of the container.

Support panels 31 and 33 are folded flat against face panels 18 and 16, respectively, and determine the position of partition 32 in the container. Additional support flaps 36 and 33 form the remaining walls of compartment 34, and are folded within and against side panels 17 and 19, respectively.

Partition 32 contains an opening 40 which functions as a gauging means (FIGURE 7). This opening is relatively small, and its proportions are altered for various contents of the container. The coarser the particles of the contents, the smaller the opening, and vice versa.

It has been found that the throttling effect obtained by the use of this small, shaped opening can be utilized to good advantage in a novel way. For example, when a product such as powdered milk is packaged, the beads of dehydrated milk vary considerably in size. Also, due to agitation in handling, some sifting action takes place, with resultant fine powder settling out. Thus, a measured quantity of fixed volume from a conventional measuring container tends to have varying weight, due to variations in the apparent density of powder in various parts of the container.

By controlling the size, shape and location of the opening 40 of a container according to the invention, however, it has been found that a compensating effect may be introduced. As shown in FIGURE 7, there is a fanning out of the contents as they pass through the opening. And the larger and smoother the particle size, the greater will be the lateral spread of the contents into the measuring compartment. Conversely, the finer the particle size, the less will be that spread. Furthermore, since the volume measured is proportional to spread, the finer the particles, the less will be the volume occupied by a given weight of material. Thus, the quantities having greater apparent density will be dispensed in smaller volume, and the more consistent will be the weight of contents dispensed. This is a decided advantage in the case of dehydrated food products which are to be reconstituted by the addition of water, since weight proportions of the dry contents are frequently more significant than volume when the apparent density varies throughout the container.

It will be noted, also, that the opening 40 is at the opposite side of the container body from the external outlet 23. This is a significant feature of the instant invention, since (see FIGURE 7) the measuring compartment 34 is not fully utilized in length; and the measured quantity of contents, therefore, is never immediately adjacent the outlet 23. Thus, there is no opportunity for leakage of the measured quantity until it is dispensed by tipping the container, as shown in FIGURE 8. This has the advantage of obviating the need for a permanent, reusable closure for the outlet.

Flap 36, of course, has an opening therethrough which corresponds to outlet 23, and permits discharge of the contents from measuring compartment 34. Additional tabs 42 and 44 are folded parallel to partition 32 and serve to isolate the contents of compartment 34 from the corner joints.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a variation in the arrangement of certain flaps. As indicated, the blank 10 may be so arranged that supplementary flaps 36' and 38 extend from flaps 36 and 38, respectively. In some instances this is desirable to give added strength, since glue may then be applied to the opposing surface pairs 36'-44 and 38'42 in order to more securely position panel 32.

The final assembly step is to close the measuring compartment and the top of the container body by folding over panel 50. Upper glue lap 52 and Van Buren cars 54, 55 are then glued to the exterior body surfaces to complete the container. The ear 55 is sufiiciently long to completely cover the tab 22 to which it is glued. The simple expedient of lifting up ear 55 thus results in the removal of the tab, making the container ready for the dispensing sequence. As indicated previously, the partition 32 operates to control the retained contents While the container is in any position, and there is no need to have a closure member after tab 22 is removed.

There has thus been provided a dispensing container, formed from a one-piece blank, which incorporates a measuring or gauging function and does not require elaborate closure or valving means at the outlet. The container which comprises the instant invention is compact in construction, leakproof, and it functions in a simplified manner to dispense measured quantities of its contents.

While I have illustrated and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be recognized that the invention may .be otherwise variously embodied and practiced Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. A dispensing carton formed from a one-piece folded blank having cut portions and a plurality of orthogonal fold lines defining rectangular longitudinally extending opposed face panels and side panels, a top panel extending transversely from the top edge of one face panel and progressively a first support panel, a partition panel and a second support panel extending from the top edge of the other face panel, the first and second support panels 4 i when said carton is formed extending longitudinally in face to face engagement with the upper inner surfaces of their respective face panels and said partition panel extending transversely and below said top panel to define awall of a top measuring compartment, one of said side panels having a dispensing outlet means at said measuring compartment, said partition panel having a measuring opening of predetermined configuration formed therein by a substantially central cut-out extending from the partition panel edge adjacent the other of said side panels with portions of said partition panel remaining on either side of said out out, a first support flap connected to the spaced outer edges of said partition panel on either side of said measuring opening and extending toward said top panel, a second support flap connected to the edge of said partition panel at said one of said side panels and extending toward said top panel, the first and second support panels and the first and second support flaps providing a four-sided support for said partition panel to maintain the predetermined position thereof when the material in the carton is supported thereby during the measuring step, said second support flap having an opening therein in alignment with said dispensing outlet means, said dispensing outlet means having a removable tab.

2. A dispensing carton as defined in claim 1 and including glue flaps extending transversely from said first and second support flaps to more securely position said partition panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,819,000 

1. A DISPENSING CARTON FORMED FROM A ONE-PIECE FOLDED BLANK HAVING CUT PORTIONS AND A PLURALITY OF ORTHOGONAL FOLD LINES DEFINING RECTANGULAR LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OPPOSED FACE PANELS AND SIDE PANELS, A TOP PANEL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM THE TOP EDGE OF ONE FACE PANEL AND PROGRESSIVELY FROM THE TOP EDGE OF ONE FACE PANEL AND A SECOND SUPPORT PANEL EXTENDING FROM THE TOP EDGE OF THE OTHER FACE PANEL, THE FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT PANELS WHEN SAID CARTON IS FORMED EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY IN FACE TO FACE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UPPER INNER SURFACES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE FACE PANELS AND SAID PARTITION PANEL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY AND BELOW SAID TOP PANEL TO DEFINE A WALL OF A TOP MEASURING COMPARTMENT, ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS HAVING A DISPENSING OUTLET MEANS AT SAID MEASURING COMPARTMENT, SAID PARTITION PANEL HAVING A MEASURING OPENING OF PREDETERMINED CONFIGURATION FORMED THEREIN BY A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRAL CUT-OUT EXTENDING FROM THE PARTITION PANEL EDGE ADJACENT THE OTHER OF SAID SIDE PANELS WITH PORTIONS OF SAID PARTITIONS PANEL REMAINING ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID CUT OUT, A FIRST SUPORT FLAP CONNECTED TO THE SPACED OUTER EDGES OF SAID PARTITION PANEL ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID MEASURING OPENING AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID TOP PANEL, A SECOND SUPPORT FLAP CONNECTED TO THE EDGE OF SAID PARTITION PANEL AT SAID ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID TOP PANEL, THE FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT PANELS AND THE FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT FLAPS PROVIDING A FOUR-SIDED SUPORT FOR SAID PARTITION PANEL TO MAINTAIN THE PREDETERMINED POSITION THEREOF WHEN THE MATERIAL IN THE CARTON IS SUPPORTED THEREBY DURING THE MEASURING STEP, SAID SECOND SUPPORT FLAP HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DISPENSING OUTLET MEANS, SAID DISPENSING OUTLET MEANS HAVING A REMOVABLE TAB. 